Apparatus for catching, conveying, and cooling coated metal sheets.



L. G. STEELE.

APPARATUS FOR GATGHING, CONVEYING, AND COOLING COATED METAL SHEETS. APPLICATION TILED FEB. 25,1910.

997,869, Patented July 1.1, 1911.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR MW uwm tr up??? L. G. STEELE.

APBARATUS FOR GATGHING, CONVEYING, AND COOLING COATED METAL SHEETS.'

- APPLICATION FILED PBB.25,1910

997,869,. Patented July 11,1911.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

r r *i 5 IJJJJ- g INVENTOR L. C. STEELE. APPARATUS FOR GATCHING, CONVEYING, AND COOLING COATED METAL SHEETS.

' rrmoumu 211.111) r1111.25,1910.

WITNESSES:

. I p I L. G. STEELE. CONVEYING, AND COOLING COATED METAL SHEETS. PLIGATION FILED FEB.25,1910

Patented July 11, 1911.

APPARATUS FOR GATOHING 4 SHEBTS-SHEET 4.

INVENTOR LIAM 921x are non LAWRENCE cane STEELE, or BEAVER, rEmtsYLv .1-

i "a TUS FOE CATCHING, CONVEYING, AND COOLING COATED METAL SMETS.

997,869. Specification of Letters Patent Patented July ill, il'gillfia Application filed February 25, 1910. Serial No. 545,91?

To all whom it may concern:

Be it lmown that I, LAWRENCE CARR STEELE, residing at Beaver, in the county of Beaver and State of Pennsylvania, a citizen of the United States, have invented or dis covered" certain new and useful Improvements, in Apparatusfor Catching, Conveying, and Cooling Coated Metal Sheets, of

which improvements the following is a specification.

It is the object of the invention to provide .means for catching the sheets as they issue from the coating-bath, and by means which will not mar the coated surfaces to transfer them to suitable supports and conveyers, whereon they may be so supported as to cool evenly and without warping or distortion.

It is a further object to provide mechanism for handling the sheets which shall be of simple construction, and will carry them away expeditiously as they issue from the coating-bath. And it is a further objecttov so arrange the mechanism in proximity to the coating-bath, that it may easily be removed when access to the bath, and the mechanism accessory thereto, is desired.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, the invention is illustrated as embodied in a. machine for catching, conveying and cooling tinned sheets or platesof iron or steel, commonly known as tin-plate.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine; Fig. 2 is a top plan view. Fig. 3 is an end elevation. Fig. 4 is a vertical section on an enlarged scale on the line I VI V of Fig. 2-.

The coating-tank 1 may be of any suitable form, but preferably of the duplex form shown, and in itare arranged the guides 2 for the sheets. In Fig. 4: portions of these guides areshown as shi'ftable by mechanism which isonly generally indicated, since it is well known in the art, for directing the sheets alternately through the passages a and Z). From said passages the sheets alternately issue into and are drawn away by the sets of rollers 3, 3, l, 4:, 5, 5, and 6, 6, which constitute the feedingoutmechanism, and which are driven by suitable mechanism, not shown. ,The lower sets of rollers 3, 3 and 5, 5 may be partially immersed in the oil which is commonly employed on the surface of the tinning bath.

.Adjacent to the-fcoating-tank l is arranged the standard A, upon which on the side next to the tank, is supported by beams the arcshapedtrack 8. Rotatably mounted upon the upper portion of the standard is the head 9, having the platform 10. Depending from the platform on the side next the tank is a hanger 11, carrying the wheel 12 which rests upon the track 8. Bolted upon the platform and extending over the coatingtank are a pair of longitudinal beams 13, which together constitute a swinging arm or support for the mechanism hereinafter described.

Secured to the beams 13 at points above the opposite ends of the coating-tank are the frames 14. These frames project below the beams to a proper distance above the rollers 4, 4 and 6, 6 respectively, as hereinafter in dicated, and thence extend upwardly at angles diverging slightly from the vertical. To the tops of the opposite frames at the 0pposite ends of the tank are secured the spacing-bars 15. In the lower portions of each pair of frames on opposite sides of the machine are secured the bearings 16 for the ad jac'entpairs of drum-shafts 17 extending longitudinally between the frames on each side. At the tops of the frames on each side are similarly mounted in bearings 18 the adjacent drum-shafts 19. Within the frames between the said pairs of shafts l7 and 19,

such number as considered desirable or necessary, one such pair 20, in bearings 21, being shown on each side. i The lower inner portions of the frames 14 preferably extend inwardly beneath the beams 13, where they abut against each other and are bolted together, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

The series of drum-shaftsli', 20 and 19 on each side of the machine have fastene-l thereto at equal intervals the drums '22, which are of such diameter that the drums onadjacent pairs of shafts shall have a space between them only suihcient to allow the drums and the traveling belts or aprons 23 mounted thereon to' draw the sheets through between them with a firm grip. Said belts 23 are made of fibrous material, such as felt or canvas, so as not to mar the hot tinned surfaces of the sheets, and are carried on the alining drums on the adjacent series of shafts on opposite sides of the machine. I

24; indicates the main shaft of the machine, mounted in bearings in the standard A, and which is driven from any suitable source of power. Fastened thereto is a bevel-pinion 25meshing with a bevel-pinion 263m the lower end of vertical shaft 27. 'On'; the upper end of shaft'27 is a bevel- 5 pinion 28, meshing with betel-pinion :29 on the longitudinal shaft 30; On the opposite end of'said shaft 30, in the transverse line of the inner ends of the drum-shafts 17, are mounted a pair of "sprocket-wheels 31 From said sprocket wheels respectively chains '32 extend, one to a sprocket-wheel 33 on the en'dof the outer drum-shaft- 17 on one side of the machine, and the "other to a sprocket- -wheel 34 on the endof the inner drum-shaft 17 on theotlier side. At their opposite ends the pairs of drumshafts 17 are provided with intermeshing pinions 35. Thus through the described-connections the. shafts 1'7 are so-driven asto-cause their respective belts on each: s ide-of'the, machine to move upwardly Hi juxtaposition between and fromthe -drums on' shafts. '17,,to' and between the drums on shafts '20 and-19in succession.

I At .the tops of. the frames 14 on opposite "sides-are secured'and supported, by bars and angles and 3'Z,'the outwardly inclined sheet metalsupports 38, preferably having their-i etlgesand outer-ends turned'up, as in dicated at 39 and 40, to properly guide the coated sheets-i1 Secured towthe inner'sides'of the frames 14Iare the depending aprons 41, which are preferably-*made continuous between the fi'amesfon each side, being inclined at the t p in approximate projection of' the inclined supports 38, and. opening at the bottom upon-the face of" the longitudinallytraveling belt 42. The belt 42 is mounted upondrums 43,and 44 having their journals supported in bearings 45 on the opposite ,ends' ofjthe beams 13, intermediate drums .46 being also preferably provided as shown.

The journall47 ofdrum 44 is provided with chain 49, fromsprocket wheel 50 on countershaft-51, the latter having a bevel-pinion 52 meshing with a bevel-pinion 54 on the'longitudinalshaft 30, which ashas. alreadybe'en seen isoperatively connected with and driven by the mainfshaft 24 of the machine. The. belt 42" preferably provided. with marginal-knobs -55 as 'shown.

.Projectingl from the inner ends of opposite 4 frames 14 are the guiding rails 56 and 57 5 at a suit-ableheight,above'the surface 'of the belt-'42 to support the plates on their edges thereon. Adjacent to the ends of beams 13 at the end of the travel of belt 42 is the conveyer 58, which may be of any suitable form,

30 though preferably made up of a series of '5 a: sprocket-wheel48, drivenby means of a I 4 shown, while the rail 57 terminates at about the end of the beams 13. A conveyer'is generally indicated ,as.the place ofdeposit' of thecooledsheets, though any other suitable or desired resting-place for the sheets may be used without departure fromthe 1nvention.

In the embodiment of the invention here in illustrated and described, the driving mechanism and connections should beso proportioned and operated, that the drums on shafts l'l, and the belts 23, shall travel at the same speed as the rollers 3, 3,4,4, 5, 5 and 6.6 of the coating-tank, and said shafts l7 should ,be arranged sufficiently near to the rollers 4, 4 a'nd 6, 6, that the'drums and belts thereon will grip the advance end of each sheet before its opposite ends has left said rollers 4, 4 or 6, 6. Guides of any suitable form, as indicated at 59,. may be provided for the sheets. The drum 44and belt 42 should be caused totravel at a'speed' materially higher than that of belts 23, in

order to insure that the travel of the sheets through the machine shall not be impeded or interfered with by'sheets in advance.

In operation, assuming asheet issuing from the passage (1 in the coating-tank 1, it

is engaged by the pairs of rollers 3, 3 and 4,

4 in succession, and fed upwardly into the pass between the belts 23 at-the right-hand side of the machine, Figs3- and 4. It is then-drawn upwardly between said belts and fed therefrom at the top upon the inclined support- .38. From the support 38 the sheet immediately slides down between the aprons 41, until its edge rests upon the belt It is thus carried, supported on its edge first by said aprons 41 and then by the rails 56 and 57-, to' the exit end of the machine,

where thebentoutwardly extending. end of the rail 56 causes it to turn over on its face upon the conveyer 58, by Which'it. may be carried to the branning machine, orany desired place of deposit.- Since the belt 42 is flexible the fall of the plates thereonis cushioned, and their edges are not marred or otherwise injured. Meanwhile the next suc- -ceeding"sheethas passed through the passageg'b and rollers 5, 5 and 6', 6, whence it has been 'delivered to and. caught between .the bolts 23 on the left-hand side of-themachine,

and it is then in like manner delivered from that side edgewise upon the belt 42.

.9 By thus arranging two sets of cooperat ing conveyers in connection with two delivery passages from the coating-tank, and

feedingthe sheets through the resp'ective passages and -conveye'rs in alternation, the

handling of the sheets is accomplished ex-' peditiously and without interference. be-

tween successive sheets. And by arranging. said sets of conveyors to automatically deposit the sheets all upon a commonconveyer operated at a higher speed, the entire output the plates to travel with said of duplex coating-tank may be deposited gripped with the requisite firmness, and

evenly supported.

It is'of course understood that the pairs of cooperatingdrum-shafts 17, 20. and 19 should be arranged a distance apart less than the length of the sheets to be'handled.

The belt 42 and the rails'56 and 57 may extend for any desired distance beyond the exit ends of the aprons 41, so that the oppdsite faces of the sheets will be entirely exposed to the atmosphere, and they will be cooled effectually and uniformly, and without warping or distortion.

1 claim herein as my invention:

1. A conveyer for coated metal plates having. in combination a pair of traveling fibrous aprons arranged to bearupon the opposite faces of the plates, means for driving said traveling aprons, and means for causing traveling aprons,

2.:The combination with a coating-tank for metal plates, a pair of upwardly extendingconveyers, and means for operating the conveyers, of a bed for the, plates arranged between and beneath the upper terminals of said conveyers, and means for directing the plate's j-from said terminals to and upon said I bed.-:

The combination with a coating-tank for metal plates, of two feeding-out devices arranged side by side, means above each of said feeding-out devices for conveying the plates upwardly therefrom, a single traveling conveyer and means for driving it, and .ineans for directing the plates from said (P-f Wardly conveying means to and upon said conveyer.

between and beneath the upper terminals of said upwardly extending conveyers, means for directing the plates from said upper terminals to and upon said horizontal conveyer,

and means for operating said horizontal conveyer.

5. The combination with a pair of oppositely arranged upwardly extending con veyers for metal plates, and means for operating said conveyers, of a third horizontal conveyer arranged between and beneath the upper terminals of said upwardly extending conveyers,'means for directing the plates edgewise from said upper terminals to and upon said third conveyer, means for supporting the plates on their lges thereon, and means for operating said third conveyer.

(3. The combination with a pair of oppositely arranged upwardly extending conveyers for metal plates,and means for operating said conveyers, of a third horizontal conveyer arranged between and'beneath the upper terminals of said upwardly extending conveyers, means for directing the plates edgewise from said upper terminals to and upon said third conveyer, abutments \for the edges of the plates and means for support ing the plates ontheir edges thereon, and means for operating said third conveyer.

.' 7. In an apparatus for handling heated flexible metal plates, the combination with a traveling conveyer having a bearing surface for the edges of the plates, and means for operating said conveyer, of means arranged at a suitable height above the conveyer for supporting the plates in substantially upright position thereon.

v8. In an apparatus for handling heated flexible metal plates, the combination with a traveling conveyer having a' bearing surface for the edges of the plates, and means for operating said conveyer, of oppositely arranged abutments on the conveyer for the edges of the plates, and means arranged at a suitable height above the conveyer for sup; porting the plates in substantially upright. position thereon.

9. In combination .with a conveyer for heated metal plates, and means for operating said conveyer, of an open railing-arranged on each side of said conveyer for supporting the plates thereon in substan-' tially upright position, whereby both faces of the plates are exposed to the atmosphere while traveling on said conveyer.

10. The combination with a coating tank for metal plates, and means for feeding the plates from the tank, of a horizontally swinging arm pivotally mounted adjacent to the tank and rojecting thereover, and mechanism carried by the arm for receiving .and conveying the plates.

for metal plates. a support adjacent thereto,

and a horizontally swinging arm .pivotally mounted upon the support and pr0]ect1ng over the tank, of a conveyer and means for driving it earned by said arm, a mam drivlug-shaft, and a pivotal drlvlng connection between said main driving-shaft and said conveyer-drivmg means.

13. The combination with a coating-tank 130 upwardly extending conveyer connection between said &

for metal plates, a support adjacent thereto, a main driving-shaft mounted upon the support, and an arm pivotally mounted on the support and projecting over the tank, of an and a hori zontally'extending conveyer both cal-rial by the arm, means bythearm for the conveyers, anda. pivotal drivin driving-shaf and said conveyezdriving means 14.. The combination with aeoating tank for nietal'plates,' a support adjacent thereto,

support and pair of oppositely arranged upwardly exhorizontal cona main drlvmg-shaft mounted on the .sup-

rz, and an arm pi otally mounted on the 'projeetmg over the tank, of a tending conveyets and a veyer, carried by the arm,- said horizontal conveyer being arranged between said upwardly extending conveyels and beneath their upper ends, a countershaft carried by the arm andconnected to the conveyers, and

a pivotal driving connection between the counter-shaft and the main driving-shaft.

15. In apparatus ior' eonyeying 'metal 16. In an apparatus for handling heated flexible metal platesQthe eornhination with a flexible traveling conveyer and means. for operating the conveyer, of means for depositing the plates upon their edges upon said conveyen'and means arranged at a suitable height abovesaid conveyer for supporting thereon;

my hand.

LAWRENCE CARR STEELE. Witnesses ALICE A. TBJLL, J L H BBERT'BRADLEY.

In testimony whereof I'have hereunto set the plates in substantially upright position 

